More then Just a Game
by glimmergirlhg1
Summary: I'm not good at summaries so don't judge me. Clove is pregnant and is being sent into the arena. Cato volunteers to protect her, hoping to get her home. How will things play out? Will Clove or Cato make it out alive? Once again: I tried
1. Chapter 1

"Are you sure?" Cato asked, his voice a mixture of anger and fear. He paced back and forth in front of the bench where Clove sat, his feet crunched in the snow. She watched him, tears streaming down her face. She never cried in front of anyone, but she couldn't control it, she was scared. After all the abuse she had been through with a straight face, this scared her. Cato stopped for a second, looking at her. Tears where threatening to spill from his eyes, but he wasn't going to let it happen. He pulled off his hat and ran his figures through his hair, looking down at his feet and the snow.

"I have all the signs, took three test, and went to a doctor. I'm pretty sure." Clove said with her usual sarcasm. She felt defensive. She was expecting him to blame her for this, just like everyone else did.

Cato stared at her with his sky blue eyes. He let the tears stream down slowly. He walked over to her slowly and sat next to her. They both sat there, looking straight ahead. Cato watched his breath in the cold air. He smiled slightly, remembering how when they were little they would blow as hard as they could into the air to watch it on cold snowy days like this. Was that all over now? Cato sighed and then took Clove's hand.

"What are we going to do?" Cato asked, turning to her. He still thought she looked beautiful with the snowflakes collecting in her dark hair. Clove kept looking straight ahead, not really wanting to talk. She took a deep breath.

"I-I guess...Well, I don't know." She said looking at him. She shook slightly from the cold and from fear. Cato pulled her close to his chest and gently stroked her hair, which was down instead of the usual ponytail.

"We have time to think about it." Cato assured her.

Clove pulled away, "Cato...you don't think I should have an..." Clove couldn't say it, but Cato knew what she was going to say. "Abortion". She looked at him with pleading green eyes. She didn't know what to do.

Cato had seen many people die in the games. He had even enjoyed most of them, being from a career district. He had even been training for the games and hopped to get some of those horrific kills. But killing a baby, especially one that was his, seemed wrong. It wasn't just wrong, he'd probably go as far as to say as it was horrible. It seemed weird to him, and even Clove felt discussing just by thinking about the option.

Cato wanted to just scream "no", but he did feel like it shouldn't be his decision. Clove was going to be the one carrying the baby and going through all of that. Cato would help, but his suffering wouldn't compare to hers.

"Personally, I don't want you to, but if its what your want..." He trailed off. Clove shook her head.

"I don't want to do that. I don't know how to explain it, but I just don't know if I could go through with it." Cato nodded at Clove's response. At least they seemed to be on the same page about this. Clove buried her face in the crock of Cato's neck, "I'm sorry Cato. I'm so sorry." She kept mumbling. Cato tried to calm her down the best he could, telling her everything was going to be alright even though he wasn't completely sure of it.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been three months since Clove told Cato. They had decided against the abortion, but they still weren't sure about what to do with the baby. Today was reaping day. Clove was nervous, even though she knew who the volunteers where going to be. She was so excited when they didn't pick her or Cato. She couldn't imagine what life would be like if he didn't come back. She shook the thought from her head. Of course Cato would come back. He was one of the strongest students in the academy. He was selected when he was eight to go there and pasted everything with flying colors.

Clove stood in front of the mirror in her bedroom. She was wearing a lace white dress that brushed her knees and small white heals. Her dark brown hair was down in curls, something she wasn't very fond of. She wasn't showing yet, but the doctor said most people at her age don't show until they are five or six months, which was good.

"Hey." Clove heard a familiar voice. She looked in the mirror and saw Cato leaning against the door way. He wore a pale blue dress shirt and black dress pants. Clove turned around and smiled at him. Cato walked over to her, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him, "You look beautiful." He whispered into her ear.

"You're not so bad yourself." She teased. She was happy Cato was there for her. And she was happy he didn't she her daily round of morning sickness.

"Thank you," Cato pulled away and held his hand out for Clove, "Shall we go?" Clove took his hand, smiling. They walked together side by side to the door.

The flowers were just starting to bud and the weather was perfect. Clove loved this time of year. It wasn't to hot or too cold and everything was beautiful and peaceful. This time of year held some of her best memories growing up. The times when her dad would leave for a few days and it was just Clove and her mom. She would walk over to Cato's house and they would practice hand to hand combat.

* * *

_"No fair! You're bigger than me." Clove protested as Cato held her to the ground gently. He smirked._

_"No excuses. I win." He laughed. He rolled of her, laying next to her on the soft green grass. He and Clove looked at each other. Clove smirked, which made Cato nervous. She only did that when she had something devious on her mind. He could tell she was planning something._

_"Whatever it is, don't even try it." Cato said. Clove frowned, seeing that her plans were ruined. She had yet to learn the element of surprise. Clove looked back up and sighed._

_"Your dad?" Cato asked. He was the only one outside Clove's family that knew about her father. Well, everyone else had the rumors, Cato had actually heard it from the source, not snooty neighbors. Clove rolled up her sleeve on her t-shirt, revealing a huge bruise on her shoulder. "Clove." Cato said in shock. He moved closer, using his elbow to prop himself up to look at it. "Did I hurt you?" He asked, thinking back to a minute ago when he pined her on the ground. He loved winning, but he hated hurting Clove in the process, even though he hurt her and much as she hurt him, which was rarely._

_"You didn't. It's kind of numbed out. It only hurts if you press it too hard." Clove explained, looking down at the grass._

_"What does he do that?" Cato asked after a few minutes of silence._

_"He's blames me for my mother's death. He says if it weren't for me, she wouldn't have crashed. And she's be fine," she said with tears in her eyes, "The worst part is, sometimes I believe him."_

_Cato shook his head, "It's not your fault. It's not the other driver's fault. It's no one's fault. Some people just have to blame someone else when something unexpected happens." He looked into Clove's darks eyes. She wiped away the tears._

_"Okay." She whispered. Cato smiled at her._

_"I love you Clove."_

_Clove smiled, "I love you too."_

_It was the first time they ever said that._

* * *

They got to the town square, where most of the district was. Reaping in district two was a big deal. Everyone was excited. Cato kissed Clove on the forehead.

"Good luck." Cato said.

"May the odds be ever in your favor." Clove smiled. She turned and walked to her age group. She stood with her friend, Callie. She smiled at Clove. They talked for a little bit until the district escort, Wint, came out.

Wint wore a huge curly, green wig with a matching green dress with lace. Her shoes and makeup were the same spring green. Some of the kids giggled as she waddled onto the stage. Not only was her dress restricting, but her ten inch heals didn't help her walk much either.

"Welcome, welcome! To the annual reaping for the 74th hunger games!" Wint squealed. Everyone in the crowd cheered excitedly. Wint's smile grew larger, "Okay, now before the reaping, a special tape, brought to you by the Capital." Everyone cheered again. The tape started. Clove didn't really pay attention to the video. But neither did anyone else. They had to watch in almost everyday at training and school.

"Wasn't that wonderful? Okay, well, now for the exciting part," Wint squealed, "Ladies first!" Wint waddled over to one of the bowls. It was on the same side as the girls in the crowd. Wint waved her hand over the bowl and dove her hand into the bowl. She walked back to the microphone with the card in her hands. Everyone was eagerly waiting to see who would be picked, even though it didn't matter because the tributes were already decided.

"Clove Baird." She read. Clove wasn't worried, she knew Willow Marks was going to volunteer. Clove got out of the crowd with no emotion on her face. Were was Willow? Clove was walking up the stairs. No sign of Willow. Now Clove was starting to panic.

"No volunteers?" Wint asked, a little surprised. She shrugged, "Now for the boys." Wint said. She pulled out a card from the bowl the same way she had before and went up to the microphone and read it, "Ruben Sparks." A boy who looked about thirteen started walking up to the stage.

Clove made eye contact with Cato, she knew what he was about to do. She shook her head slightly, trying to tell him not to do it, but Cato jumped out of the crowd.

"I volunteer as tribute!" Cato announced. He walked up on stage, looking confident and proud.

Clove didn't want him to volunteer. Only one could make it out alive, and she didn't know what she would do without Cato. She knew he had intentions to protect her so she could get home.

They shook hands, "District two: Your tributes!" Wint exclaimed. The crowd cheered.

Clove and Cato were lead into the justice building for goodbyes.


End file.
